February 23
Events *1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type. *1660 - Charles XI becomes King of Sweden. *1778 - American Revolution: Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army. *1797 - French Forces launch a failed invasion of Britain. See Last Invasion of Britain *1820 - Cato Street Conspiracy: A plot to murder all the British cabinet ministers is exposed. *1830 - Oxford, home of Miami University, is incorporated. *1836 - The Siege of the Alamo begins in San Antonio. *1847 - Mexican-American War: Battle of Buena Vista - In Mexico, American troops defeat Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna. *1854 - The official independence of the Orange Free State is declared. *1861 - President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington, after an assassination attempt in Baltimore. *1866 - Lebanon Valley College is founded in Annville. *1870 - Military control of Mississippi ends and it is readmitted to the Union. *1874 - Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patents a game called "sphairistike," now more commonly called lawn tennis. *1883 - Alabama becomes the first U.S. state to enact an antitrust law. *1887 - The French Riviera is hit by a large earthquake, killing around 2,000. *1893 - Rudolf Diesel receives a patent for the diesel engine. *1898 - Émile Zola is imprisoned in France after writing "J'accuse", a letter accusing the French government of anti-Semitism and wrongfully placing Captain Alfred Dreyfus in jail. *1900 - In South Africa the Boers and British troops fight in the Battle of Hart's Hill. *1903 - Cuba leases Guantanamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity". *1904 - For $10 million the United States gains control of the Panama Canal Zone. *1905 - Chicago, Illinois attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club, the world's first service club. *1909 - The AEA Silver Dart makes the first powered flight in Canada and the British Empire. *1917 - First demonstrations in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The beginning of the February Revolution. *1918 - First victory of Red Army over the Kaiser's German troops near Narva and Pskov. Since 1923 this date become the Day of Red Army in honour of this victory. *1919 - Benito Mussolini forms the Fascist Party in Italy. *1927 - The Federal Radio Commission (later renamed the Federal Communications Commission) begins to regulate the use of radio frequencies. *1934 - Léopold III becomes King of Belgium. *1940 - World War II: Soviet Union troops conquer Lasi Island. *1941 - Plutonium was first produced and isolated by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg. *1944 - forced deportation of the Chechen and Ingush people to Central Asia *1945 - World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines and a commonly forgotten US Navy Corpsman, reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag. The photo would later win a Pulitzer Prize. * 1945 - World War II: The capital of the Philippines, Manila, is liberated by American forces. * 1945 - World War II: Capitulation of German garrison in Poznań, city is liberated by Soviet and Polish forces. * 1945 - World War II: The German town of Pforzheim is completely destroyed by a raid of 379 British bombers. *1947 - International Organization for Standardization(ISO) is founded. *1954 - The first mass vaccination of children against polio begins in Pittsburgh. *1955 - First meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). *1957 - The founding congress of the Senegalese Popular Bloc is opened in Dakar. *1958 - Cuban rebels kidnap 5-time world driving champion Juan Manuel Fangio. *1966 - A military coup in Syria replaces the previous government. *1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst. *1975 - In response to the energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly two months early in the United States. *1980 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini states that Iran's parliament would decide the fate of the American embassy hostages. *1981 - 23-F, Antonio Tejero attempts a coup d'état by capturing the Spanish Congress of Deputies. *1983 - The Spanish Socialist government of Felipe González and Miguel Boyer nationalizes Rumasa, a holding of José María Ruiz Mateos. * 1983 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach. *1987 - A supernova is seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud (see Supernova 1987a). *1991 - Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabia border and enter Iraq, thus starting the ground-phase of the war. * 1991 - In Thailand, General Sunthorn Kongsompong leads a bloodless coup d'état, deposing Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan. *1992 - The Socialist Labour Party is founded in Georgia. *1995 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 30.28 to close at 4,003.33, closing above 4,000 for the first time. *1997 - A large fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir. *1998 - Kissimmee Tornado Outbreak: Tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42. * 1998 - Osama bin Laden publishes a fatwa declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders. *1999 - Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey. * 1999 - An avalanche destroys the Austrian village of Galtür, killing 31. *2005 - Slovakia Summit 2005 begins, marking the first occasion when a sitting American President visits Slovakia; Bush and Putin are in attendance. * 2005 - Vote of the controversial French law on colonialism, repealed start of 2006. *2006 - Dubai Ports World agrees to postpone its plans to take over management of six U.S. ports after the proposal ignited harsh bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill. *2007 - Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea. * 2007 - A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, United Kingdom, killing one person and injuring 22. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents. Births *1417 - Pope Paul II (d. 1471) *1583 - Jean-Baptiste Morin, French scientist (d. 1656) *1633 - Samuel Pepys, English naval administrator and man of letters, posthumously famous as a diarist (d. 1703) *1646 - Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shogun (d. 1709) *1648 - Arabella Churchill, English mistress of James II of England (d. 1730) *1680 - Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, French colonizer and Governor of Louisiana (d. 1767) *1685 - Georg Friedrich Handel, German/British Baroque composer (d. 1759) *1688 - Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden (d. 1741) *1723 - Richard Price, Welsh philosopher (d. 1791) *1729 - Josiah Hornblower, American statesman (d. 1809) *1743 - Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German-born banker (d. 1812) *1809 - William Sprague, American minister and politician from Michigan (d. 1868) *1840 - Carl Menger, Austrian economist (d. 1921) *1842 - Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann, German philosopher (d. 1906) *1850 - César Ritz, Swiss hotelier (d. 1918) *1868 - W.E.B. DuBois, American civil rights leader (d. 1963) *1873 - Liang Qichao, Chinese scholar (d. 1929) *1874 - Konstantin Päts, Estonian president (d. 1956) *1878 - Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian painter and art theorist (d. 1935) *1883 - Karl Jaspers, German philosopher (d. 1969) *1889 - Victor Fleming, American director (d. 1949) * 1889 - Musidora, French actress and director (d. 1957) *1891 - Harold Horder, Australian Rugby League player (d. 1978) *1899 - Erich Kästner, German writer (d. 1974) * 1899 - Norman Taurog, American film director (d. 1981) *1901 - Edgar Ende, German painter (d. 1965) *1904 - Terence Fisher, English film director (d. 1980) * 1904 - William L. Shirer, American historian (d. 1993) * 1904 - Leopold Trepper, Soviet spy (d. 1982) *1908 - William McMahon, twentieth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1988) *1914 - Theofiel Middelkamp, Dutch cyclist (d. 2005) *1915 - Jon Hall, American actor (d. 1979) * 1915 - Paul Tibbets, US Air Force retired Brigadier General and Pilot of B-29 "Enola Gay" over Hiroshima (d. 2007) *1918 - Richard G. Butler, American fascist (d. 2004) *1920 - Paul Gérin-Lajoie, French Canadian politician *1923 - Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan politician *1924 - Allan McLeod Cormack, South-African born physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1998) * 1924 - Claude Sautet, French film director (d. 2000) *1928 - Vasili Lazarev, cosmonaut (d. 1990) *1931 - Tom Wesselmann, American collage artist (d. 2004) *1932 - Majel Barrett, American actress *1937 - Tom Osborne, American football coach and politician *1938 - Diane Varsi, American actress (d. 1992) *1940 - Peter Fonda, American actor *1941 - Ron Hunt, baseball player *1943 - Fred Biletnikoff, American football player and coach *1944 - Bernard Cornwell, English historical novelist * 1944 - Johnny Winter, American musician *1945 - Allan Boesak, South African activist *1946 - Rusty Young, American country-rock guitarist (Poco) *1948 - Doug Moench, American comic book writer *1949 - Marc Garneau, French Canadian astronaut *1950 - Maxi, Irish singer and radio personality *1951 - Ed Jones, American football player * 1951 - Patricia Richardson, American actress *1952 - Brad Whitford, American musician (Aerosmith) *1953 - Satoru Nakajima, Japanese racing driver *1954 - Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine *1955 - Tom Bodett, American voice actor, radio personality, and writer * 1955 - Howard Jones, British pop singer *1958 - Tony Barrell, English writer and journalist * 1958 - David Sylvian, English singer, musician and composer (Japan, Nine Horses) *1959 - Richard Dodds, British field hockey player *1960 - Alan Griffin, Australian politician * 1960 - Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan *1962 - Michael Wilton, American musician (Queensrÿche) *1963 - Bobby Bonilla, former baseball player * 1963 - Radosław Sikorski, Polish politician *1964 - John Norum, Norwegian guitarist (Europe) *1965 - Kristin Davis, American actress * 1965 - Michael Dell, American computer manufacturer * 1965 - Helena Suková, former Czech tennis player * 1965 - Veronica Webb, American supermodel and actress *1968 - Justin Bell, British racing driver *1969 - Marc Wauters, Belgian cyclist *1970 - Marie-Josée Croze, French Canadian actress * 1970 - Niecy Nash, American actress *1971 - Jeong Chan, South Korean actor * 1971 - Don Maxwell, Canadian cricketer * 1971 - Melinda Messenger, English television presenter *1972 - Steve Holy, American country singer * 1972 - Rondell White, American baseball player *1973 - Jack Case, American artist * 1973 - Lars-Olof Johansson, Swedish musician (The Cardigans) *1974 - Leko, American DJ * 1974 - Jaime Villarreal, Mexican musician * 1974 - Herschelle Gibbs, South African cricketer *1975 - Michael Cornacchia, American actor * 1975 - Robert Lopez, American composer *1976 - Kelly Macdonald, British actress *1977 - Kristina Šmigun, Estonian cross-country skier *1978 - René Pérez, Puerto Rican musician (Calle 13) * 1978 - Dan Snyder, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2003) * 1979 - D-Roc, American rapper (Ying Yang Twins) *1981 - Gareth Barry, English footballer * 1981 - Charles Tillman, American football player *1983 - Mirco Bergamasco, Italian rugby player * 1983 - Mido, Egyptian footballer *1986 - Holly Brook, American musician * 1986 - Kazuya Kamenashi, Japanese idol, (member of KAT-TUN) *1989 - Evan Bates, American ice dancer *1991 - Kelly Hansen, American drummer (Summer Lights) *1994 - Dakota Fanning, American child actress Deaths * 943 - Herbert II, (b. 884) *1011 - Willigis, Archbishop of Mainz *1100 - Emperor Zhezong of China (b. 1076) *1270 - Saint Isabel of France, daughter of Louis VIII of France (b. 1225) *1447 - Pope Eugene IV (b. 1383) * 1447 - Humphrey (b. 1390) *1464 - Zhengtong, Emperor of China (b. 1427) *1526 - Diego Colón, Spanish Viceroy of the Indies *1554 - Henry Grey, English politician (executed) (bc. 1515) *1572 - Pierre Certon, French composer *1603 - Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher, physician, and botanist (b. 1519) *1669 - Leo Aitzema, Dutch historian and statesman (b. 1600) *1704 - Georg Muffat, French composer (b. 1653) *1730 - Pope Benedict XIII (b. 1649) *1766 - Stanislaw Leszczynski, King of Poland (b. 1677) *1781 - George Taylor, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (bc. 1716) *1792 - Joshua Reynolds, English painter (b. 1723) *1800 - Joseph Warton, English literary critic (b. 1722) *1821 - John Keats, English poet (b. 1795) *1848 - John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States (b. 1767) *1855 - Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (b. 1777) *1859 - Zygmunt Krasiński, Polish Romantic poet (b. 1812) *1879 - Albrecht Graf von Roon, Prime Minister of Prussia (b. 1803) *1897 - Woldemar Bargiel, German composer (b. 1828) *1908 - Johannes Friedrich August von Esmarch, German surgeon (b. 1823) *1922 - Albert Victor Bäcklund, Swedish physicist (b. 1845) *1930 - Horst Wessel, Nazi ideologue and composer (b. 1907) *1931 - Nellie Melba, Australian opera soprano (b. 1861) *1934 - Edward Elgar, English composer (b. 1857) *1937 - Victim 7 of the Cleveland Torso Murderer *1944 - Leo Hendrik Baekeland, Belgian-American chemist and inventor of the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite (b. 1863) *1946 - Tomoyuki Yamashita, Japanese general (hanged) (b. 1885) *1948 - John Robert Gregg, Irish-born publisher and inventor (b. 1866) *1955 - Paul Claudel, French poet and playwright (b. 1868) *1957 - Marika Ninou, Greek singer (b. 1918) *1960 - Arthur Legat, Belgian racing driver (b. 1898) *1965 - Stan Laurel, British born actor and comedian (b. 1890) *1969 - King Saud of Saudi Arabia (b. 1902) *1973 - Dickinson W. Richards, American physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1895) *1974 - Harry Ruby, American composer and writer (b. 1895) *1976 - LS Lowry, English artist (b. 1887) *1979 - W.A.C. Bennett, Canadian politician (b. 1900) *1983 - Herbert Howells, English composer (b. 1892) *1990 - José Napoleón Duarte, President of El Salvador (b. 1925) *1992 - Markos Vafiadis, Greek politician (b. 1906) *1995 - Melvin Franklin, American singer (The Temptations) (b. 1942) * 1995 - James Herriot, English writer (b. 1916) *1997 - Tony Williams, American jazz drummer (b. 1945) *1999 - Carlos Hathcock, USMC Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills (b. 1942) *2000 - Ofra Haza, Israeli singer (b. 1957) * 2000 - Stanley Matthews, English footballer (b. 1915) *2001 - Robert Enrico, French film director and screenwriter (b. 1931) *2003 - Robert K. Merton, American sociologist (b. 1910) * 2003 - Howie Epstein, American bass guitarist (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) (b. 1955) *2004 - Vijay Anand, Indian film director (b. 1934) * 2004 - Carl Anderson, American singer (b. 1945) * 2004 - Sikander Bakht, Governor of Kerala (b. 1918) * 2004 - Don Cornell, American singer (b. 1919) * 2004 - Carl Liscombe, Canadian hockey player (b. 1915) *2006 - Benno Besson, Swiss actor and film director (b. 1922) * 2006 - Telmo Zarraonaindía, Spanish footballer (b. 1921) *2007 - John Ritchie, British footballer (b. 1941) Holidays and observances * Roman Empire - Terminalia held in honor of Terminus. * Guyana - Mashramani-Republic Day. * Italy - Feast of the Incappucciati. * Russia - Defender of the Fatherland Day (formerly Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy). * Brunei - National Day. Liturgical feasts * February 23 * Catholicism - Feast day of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (died 155) * Saint Lazarus (d. 867) External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- Category:February